Maldives: Helengeli Resort

I had been bugging OD about going to the Maldives since I found out it was a doable destination from Singapore. I got my wish in February, just before the 3 year anniversary of our first date. Diving in waters of amazing blues was a wonderful way to celebrate and continue our theme of mini-moons.

The Maldives has 1,192 islands,192 of which are inhabited and 80 of which are resort islands. To get to our tiny resort island, we had to take a seaplane after arriving in Male. Compared to the main airport, the seaplane terminal was well airconditioned and pleasantly furnished, including a display of photographs of all the resort islands. Here is the airport photo of our destination, Helengeli Resort; unfortunately, the small strip of sand a bit off from the island has been washed under, but there is still a thin peninsula of sand (see bottom photo).

I had only been on a small plane once or twice before, and never a seaplane, so this part of the trip was more exciting than just getting from point A to to point B. Decked out in yellow and blue, the planes looked fun and stylish as they landed on the water. The planes were even smaller on the inside that they looked from the outside, and the engines were quite loud (earplugs were provided). 

On our short flight to Helengeli Resort, we were able to check out some of the other resorts from on high. I would love one day to stay in a stilt bungalow, like the ones fanned out from the island in the photo below. After about 20 minutes, we landed – on the water of course. We got out on a small platform a ways out from the resort island (to protect the reef). A boat soon came to pick us up and take us the rest of the way.

Helengeli is a down-to-earth diving resort, so unlike some of the places in the Maldives, it is not super fancy -- which was fine by us, as it made the trip more affordable.  The accommodations had real walls, air conditioning, and hot water -- luxurious enough for a tiny tropical island. Our bungalow was situated at the far end of the island and had some vegetation separating us from the water; the ones on the other end seemed to have a better beach view (that's what happens when you book through a discount site). I liked that the island was well-maintained, but some care had been taken to not overdevelop it. The staff was always professional and helpful, and we felt in good hands at the dive center as well.

Besides our scuba diving and snorkeling outings, we were quite happy to relax on the deck and read (though it was such a short trip, we didn't have that much lounging time). The buffet meals were also a major part of each day -- we enjoyed having good and abundant Western food (we always fear being stuck on an island and starving, and there is only so many clif bars one can eat in a day). 

On a tiny tropical island, there is not much to see but the sea and sky -- and that's the whole point.  In the morning, we tried to catch sunrise, and in the evening, we'd take in the sunset. We took a walk out to the dock one night, and we could see more stars than I have seen in a long time (perhaps ever). OD also noticed some luminescence happening in the water (which reminded me of the time a friend and I swam in a bioluminescent bay in Puerto Rico).

In the afternoon of our scheduled departure, storm clouds delayed our plane for a couple of hours, so while waiting we got one of the staff to take photos of us around the island. We hardly ever get photos of us together, and since OD takes most of the photos, they are usually just of me (though occasionally I take photos of him taking photos). At least now it won't look like I went to the Maldives by myself!

Maldives: Scuba Diving and Snorkeling

 Scuba Diving

With its beautifully clear, warm waters, the Maldives has perfect conditions for scuba diving. An added bonus was Helengeli Resort setting up and loading our equipment onto the boats for us; usually, putting my tank together and dragging it onto the boat is the worst part of diving for me. We did three dives in total, and besides loads of tropical fish and abundant coral, on one dive we saw a group of three manta rays in the distance. Though I've seen rays closer up in the aquarium, it was majestic to see them flying free in the open waters.

Manta Rays 

Harlequin Sweetlip

Oval Butterfly Fish

Clown Triggerfish

Meyer's Butterflyfish

Humbug Dascyllus

Double-saddled Butterflyfish

Looks like a shark!

Snorkeling

Unfortunately, we never had good timing with the tide to check out the house reef at Helengeli Resort, so we can't report on that. We did, however, take a snorkeling trip to one of the nearby atolls, with the boat dropping us in the water a short distance away. After scuba diving, which once you get under water often involves just gliding along, snorkeling with all the swimming and kicking against the surface tide seemed like a lot of work. OD made use of his underwater camera again and got some great shots of schools of tropical fish.

Moorish Idol

Yellowhead Butterfly Fish

Powder-blue Surgeonfish

Our one souvenir of the trip, the book Reef Fishes of the Maldives by Dr. R. Charles Anderson, came in handy in identifying the fish in the photos above. And of course, learning the different types of coral and aquatic species is part of the fun.

Laos Waterfalls

During our stay in Luang Prabang, we did outings to 2 waterfalls. Kuang Si is more impressive in terms of waterfalls, but Tad Sae is also a worthwhile trip to see elephants wading in pools.

Tad Sae

Getting to this waterfall involved a roadtrip, followed by a short boat ride to the other side of a river. Our driver dropped us off near the river bank, where several old men waited for passengers. We had to assume that they would also be waiting for us upon our return from the falls.

Elephant rides and bathing are offered in the lower half of these falls. On our way in, we saw a woman happily bathing a gentle younger elephant, and OD started saying he wanted to see me bathe an elephant (just me -- he had some excuse not to go himself).

However, we then watched a mother and two daughters with the elephants, and I decided squarely against it. Not only did the elephants like to dunk their passengers, but they also took large poops in the water. Already sick with a respiratory bug from Bangkok, I would not have been happy to be thrown off an elephant's back into dirty water (there were elephant-free pools in the levels above, which OD took a dip in). We did get some good video footage of the action.

After watching the elephant rides/bathing, we bought some bananas and sugarcane to feed the elephants, which was enough interaction for us for the day. I couldn't recall ever feeding elephants before and I was struck by the pointy shapes of their mouths and trunks.

Kuang Si Falls

These waterfalls cascade down over various levels. In the lower levels, there were a number of people swimming, with a couple spots with ropes for swinging into the water. Due to minerals, the water had a particular turquoise blue color.

Near the waterfalls is a sanctuary of sunbears, who were too busy to pose for a shot. These bears are endangered in parts of Southeast Asia, due to deforestation and the bear bile trade. The bile of these bears is extracted for use as an ingredient in Traditional Chinese Medicine. Bear bile farms in China and other regions keep bears in small cages, allowing easy access to their gall bladders. The bile extraction process is believed to be extremely painful for them. Sanctuaries such as this one are an attempt to conserve the species and educate the public about their abuse. 

Pak Ou Caves, Laos

From Luang Prabang, we took a slow boat up the Mekong River to the Pak Ou Caves. It is about a two-hour ride from town, as those boats really do go slowly! But they do have their charms.

It was a relaxing ride on calm waters. The trip also gave us a chance to get a short glimpse of life on the river. Of course, there was also a built-in stop at a fishing village, with a few stands hawking souvenirs, but there wasn't much else to see or do there.

 

The Pak Ou Caves are known for their hundreds of Buddha sculptures. They ranged in size from medium to miniature and looked as if they had been placed randomly by mischievous followers. 

There was also an upper cave, but as I was weak from the respiratory bug we got in Bangkok, I couldn't face the steps, so I had OD go on without me. At least I could review the photos afterwards.